Linda Ronstadt Battling Parkinson's Disease

We're saddened to learn that Linda Ronstadt is suffering from Parkinson's disease. She tells the AARP that she "can't sing a note," as a result of the illness.

She began to show symptoms as many as eight years ago, but was formally diagnosed only eight months ago. She knew something was wrong when she had trouble singing.

“I couldn’t sing,” she told AARP, “and I couldn’t figure out why. I knew it was mechanical. I knew it had to do with the muscles, but I thought it might have also had something to do with the tick disease that I had. And it didn’t occur to me to go to a neurologist. I think I’ve had it for seven or eight years already, because of the symptoms that I’ve had. Then I had a shoulder operation, so I thought that’s why my hands were trembling.

“Parkinson’s is very hard to diagnose, so when I finally went to a neurologist and he said, ‘Oh, you have Parkinson’s disease,’ I was completely shocked. I wouldn’t have suspected that in a million, billion years."

Ronstadt says she walks with the aid of poles when on uneven ground, and uses a wheelchair when she travels.

She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards and an Emmy. Her albums have gone gold, platinum and multi-platinum.